Target on schedule to open Oct. 5
Construction workers and store employees are putting the finishing touches on the new Mullins Crossing Shopping Center on Washington Road.
The new Target on Washington Road in Martinez will open Oct. 5 and will have its grand opening Oct. 9. Construction is complete, and employees are stocking shelves.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
The westbound right lane of Washington Road at Owens Road was closed on a recent morning as crews laid asphalt for new turn lanes and secondary entrances.
John Franklin, a superintendent with Clay Hood Construction, said paving and lane striping should be complete by Friday at the latest, but might be completed by mid-week.
"The rain caused us a lot of headaches, but we've worked through that," said Frank Mullins, the developer of the shopping center. "Now that things are dried out, all the (stores) that are slated to open in October will open."
He said the bulk of construction is complete, and crews are beginning to build an island of smaller stores near Washington Road. Tenants are in the process of signing leases to these stores, but Mullins said he could not yet reveal the names of those businesses.
The island stores and junior anchor stores should be open by the first quarter of 2006, he said.
"Everything to this point is right on schedule," said Anthony Childress, the team leader of the new Target. "We will still have our grand opening on Oct. 9 and a soft opening on Oct. 5."
He said the soft opening will be a chance for the new employees to iron out the kinks, while giving the public an introduction to the new store.
Target hired approximately 250 employees, and most of the new hires trained at other area stores and will be ready for the grand opening. Additional staff will be added for the Christmas shopping season, he said.
Construction is complete, and workers are stocking the store.
"We're pumping the freight in," Childress said.
"By Saturday, we will have taken 15 of the 35 tractor-trailers it takes to fill (the store)."
"We're looking forward to opening and serving our guests in Columbia County," he said.
Kohl's assistant manager Jason Smith said construction also is complete on his store, and employees are hurriedly unloading trucks and stocking shelves.
He said the store will be ready for its Oct. 6 grand opening.
A Chick-fil-A restaurant also is slated to open the same weekend as Target, Mullins said.